Description

Learn how to think about and use copyright as a tool of empowerment rather than the tool of limitation it is too often understood to be!

This course will provide you with a strong foundation in copyright law within the educational and library context, with a particular emphasis on fair use and what copyright law means in the digital environment.

You will have access to the course and supporting materials for six months. If you finish before then, you may continue to refer to the content and participate in the community forum.

Target Audience

About the Content

Learn how to think about and use copyright as a tool of empowerment rather than the tool of limitation it is too often understood to be!

This course will provide you with a strong foundation in copyright law within the K-12 context by teaching you how to apply the rules and concepts you learn to situations commonly encountered in primary and secondary education.

Specifically, we will spend most of our time working with fair use, with an emphasis on its application to new and evolving technologies, such as Internet tools and learning management systems.

Like all our self-paced courses, this course includes:

Community discussion forum with fellow students to discuss not only the course, but your daily efforts in applying copyright law to your workplace

Take-away tools to help you apply what you’ve learned in your work

Quizzes to let you know how well you’re grasping course content and identify topics you might want to revisit

Certificate of completion

For Texas educators, TEA Continuing Professional Education certificate of completion

We will work with educators from other states to assist you in obtaining the CE credit you need

Syllabus

Module 1: Introduction

About this Course and Your Instructor

Module 2: Copyright Fundamentals

U.S. copyright law is a complex area of law with lots of moving parts. This Module ensures that you understand not only the content of the federal Copyright Act of 1976, but also its foundational concepts, paving the way for Modules 3 and 4.

How to Think Like a Copyright Expert

What Copyright Is All About

User Rights Part I: Limitations on Owner’s Reproduction Right

User Rights Part II: Limitations on Other Owner Rights

Module 3: Mastering Fair Use

Fair use is the most misunderstood and sometimes the most intimidating area of copyright law. After completing this Module, you will embrace fair use as a tool of empowerment rather than frustration, feel more confident in making a fair use analysis, and understand how to ensure you own rights under fair use while minimizing your risk in doing so.

Introduction to Copyright and the Internet

The Fair Use Factors

Applying Fair Use

The Google Books Case: Welcome to the Modern World

Fair Use Guidelines

Statements of Best Practices in Fair Use

Fair Use Evaluation Tools

Module 4: Copyright in the Online World

Although no separate copyright law governs the Internet or digital works generally, applying copyright in the online environment offers its own particular challenges. This Module guides you in working through those often confusing and complicated situations so that you can best exercise your rights without crossing risky lines. Includes exploration of why the law often does not “fit” for digital works, how to address those situations, and the limited provisions of law that do specifically address the Internet.

Copyright and the Internet Introduction

Online: It’s about renting, not owning

Distance Education; Learning Management Systems

DMCA Online Service Provider Safe Harbor

Questions

See more about how our self-paced courses work here. You are welcome to contact us if this doesn’t answer all your questions!

Gretchen on The Copyright Wars

Excerpted from a workshop at Texas Library Association July 2014 meeting.